Life's Too Short To Drink Bad Wine
by Elmy
Summary: An episode set after 'Drawn and Quartered' but before all the angst of "Wrapped". Investigating the death of a young party girl, Vicki finds herself drawn into the hedonistic world of a wealthy wine maker. M rating for adult themes.
1. Chapter 1

**Story Notes:**

An episode set after 'Drawn and Quartered' but before all the angst of "Wrapped".Investigating the death of a young party girl, Vicki finds herself drawn into the hedonistic world of a wealthy wine maker.

M+ rating for adult themes.

Disclaimer: Blood Ties and its characters remain the property of Tanya Huff and Lifetime. No copyright infringement intended.

--

It was mid-evening on a cold winters night. Vicki was dressed in her warm leather jacket and jeans, a scarf wrapped around her neck. She was walking along the top floor hallway of Henry Fitzroy's apartment building, towards his front door.

She hadn't been invited to his apartment tonight, but she had found herself feeling bored and lonely at home. She was hoping to use the pretence of needing to discuss their new 'unfaithful husband' case as an excuse to see him, when secretly she knew she just wanted Henry's company.

Vicki took off her eye glasses and put them in her pocket, straightening her pony tail before knocking on the door. After no response she knocked again. Surely the doorman would have told her if he had gone out? Gone out for a _bite to eat_? She sighed and began to walk away when she heard the door handle click. Henry greeted her with a look of surprise and concern.

"Vicki?"

"Hey.. what took you so long?" she enquired, attempting to look into the apartment to see if he had 'company'.

She took a moment to admire his clothing. Henry was always such a traditional, impeccably dressed vampire, wearing freshly pressed pants and collared shirts. Even when loitering around the house it seemed style was still a consideration. The gentle curls of his brown hair flowed to his shoulders.

Henry gestured for Vicki, to come inside, "I was working... I've got a week to finish the artwork for my next novel.. whats wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong Henry.. " she entered his apartment, taking her off her scarf and throwing it over the back of his black leather sofa. Vicki wondered if she'd have any luck getting him to buy her 'private investigator business' excuse, but gave it her best shot. "...just wanted to see if you wanted to tag along to the 'Mr-I'm-cheating-on-my-third-wife' stakeout tomorrow night?"

Smiling she walked over and sat down on his couch.

Henry paused for a moment and looked at Vicki questioningly, "And you had to come by... in person... at ten o'clock at night to ask me this?"

"Well I was in the neighbourhood... went out to get some late chinese" she lied, avoiding eye contact. Grabbing an 'artsy' book from his coffee table she put her feet up and got comfortable.

"Vicki, you really must practice keeping a straight face if you're planning on doing more under-cover work. You're a terrible liar." he teased and closed his front door.

Ignoring his comment, Vicki flipped through the pages of the book and persisted with her question "So you coming or not?"

Henry was pleased with the distraction of Vicki's visit, but at the same time could not afford the disruption. He returned to his artist's quarters, which were cordoned off in the corner of his living room by tall, black and white, paper-thin partitions. The walls were covered in a variety of colourful drawings, which he used as reminders when needing creative inspiration.

As he picked up his pencil and resumed his sketching, he responded more loudly now "Probably not... I have a lot of work to do Vicki. You'll need to go without me."

Vicki tossed the book back over to the coffee table. She was feeling a little dejected now, wondering if perhaps she should have called on Mike instead. She could imagine him, still awake, sitting up watching bad late-night TV, mulling over details of whatever crime had come his way through the precinct today. Maybe _he_ would have given Vicki that bit of attention she was craving. Was it such a terrible thing for a girl to want a bit of affection without it having to lead to something all the time?

A little annoyed now, she got up and began to pace in the middle of the room "Hey Henry, you wanted to be a partner in this remember? You need to show a little commitment!" she said in a huff.

Still not looking up from his drawing, he stated simply "As much as you would like to believe that your life, and our little _spy games_ are the number one priority, I actually do have _another_ job to do. A _real_ job that financially allows me to maintain the lifestyle in which I am accustomed. A vampire must make a living too you know."

"Fine Henry.." she began to storm off to the front door, feeling a little offended that he'd suggested her job was just a game.

"Oh Vicki, you really do get so stereotypical moody when it'sthat time of the month_._" he yelled out to her.

Vicki stopped in her tracks and spun around.

"How do you know that I..." she trailed off, confused for a moment.

He looked out at her in the living room, raised an eyebrow and gave her a knowing look.

"Oh... _right_..." the realisation that he could _smell_ her came to mind, she scrunched her face in disgust.

Henry laughed at Vicki's facial expression. She really _was_ distracting him now.

Henry stood and walked away from his draft table and over towards her. He circled her once before snaking an arm around her waist from behind her, pulling her in close.

As his fingers tucked loose strands of her hair behind her ear he leaned in to whisper to her. "You know, a vampire...and a woman" he placed several slow, gentle, little kisses along her neck as he continued. "at a time like _this_... can have a very symbiotic relationship. There are, how should I put it... '_benefits'_ for both parties."

He grinned mischievously before scraping his teeth ever so softly against her skin. As her pulse rate rapidly increased he was tempted to break through and _take just a little_.

Vicki shivered, lost in the sensation of Henry's lips and teeth tormenting her. She was in a happy daze. Slowly she replayed Henry's words in her head, her expression changing gradually as the realisation of his proposal began to sank in.

Blushing now she pushed him away playfully, "_Ugh_! _Henry_! _That's disgusting_! _Change the topic please!_" Until now she had thought it impossible to be a little turned on and repulsed all at the same time.

Henry laughed, shook his head and sighed "I will never understand why it is so taboo to discuss something that is just a perfectly natural human process." he questioned.

As much as Vicki had been seeking a little attention tonight, she certainly hadn't been expecting an offer like _that_. She was so overcome with embarrassment she struggled to respond.

"Uh well it just is buster... so deal with it." she stammered.

Henry relished in the fact he could make Vicki squirm. He studied her as she stood in the middle of the room, looking disorientated as if not quite sure where to look, or which way to turn. He watched her take her glasses back out of her pocket, breathing on the lenses before wiping them with the corner of her shirt and putting them back on.

"So is there anything _else_ I can help you with tonight Vicki?"

"Umm nope...guess I'll go and leave you to your work." she replied.

Henry, still smiling picked up Vicki's scarf and delicately wrapped it around her neck.

"I'll see you soon Vicki."

"Bye Henry" she gave him an awkward wave and left his apartment.

Henry watched her leave, sighing as Vicki closed the door behind her. Yet again he'd succeeded in scaring her away. The modest and shy little Vicki had run for the proverbial hills again, just like she always did.

"_Maybe one day... _" he thought.

At least he'd get some work done tonight.

--

**End Notes:** Sorry if you were a little grossed out by Henry's suggestion :) I promise if you keep reading there is no more of that :)


	2. Chapter 2

Across town, a young woman was struggling to stay conscious during her taxi ride home. Her eyes fluttering between open and closed. Each time taking longer and longer to open again. She felt sick to the stomach, fighting the urge to throw up in the back seat of the car and over her expensive red dress.

The taxi driver looked at her with concern through the rear view mirror "Are you OK miss?"

"Fine.. too many parties... want to go home." she mumbled, clutching her stomach, her head resting against the window.

It was only minutes till they arrived at her destination, a typical suburban two-story house in a nice neighbourhood. The driver had to reach back and shake his passenger, alerting her to their arrival. "Miss... we're here."

She handed him a wad of squashed and crumbled notes from inside her tiny black purse, not really caring whether it met or surpassed the cost of the fare.

Fumbling with the door handle she almost fell out of the car and on to the pavement.

"Whoah be careful there! You sure you're alright?" the driver suddenly looking up from counting the bills she'd just handed him.

"Will be fine..." she closed the taxi door and waved her arm gesturing for him to leave as staggered towards her house.

Clumsily she tried getting her key into the front door lock, muttering obscenities as she dropped them several times.

Eventually she was inside. Using the wall for support she stumbled blindly upstairs to her bedroom. She walked to her bed, finding it harder and harder to breathe. She collapsed on top of her soft comfortable quilt and pillows.

All she could think of was sleep.

And the desire to sleep would be her final thought, before she closed her eyes, took a last shallow breath... and died.


	3. Chapter 3

It was a week later. Vicki was stretched out in her sunlit office, feet up on her big timber desk. She was tearing out sheets from a notepad, scrunching them and testing her aim by throwing them over to the wastepaper basket. The sheets of paper were blank and of no importance, she was simply procrastinating, not wanting to start on transcribing yet another night's worth of wire taps.

She stood up and began to pick up the many pieces of paper scattered around the bin when someone called out from the reception area.

"Hello... Ms Nelson? Is anyone here?"

Reception had been left unattended. Vicki's goth assistant Coreen was apparently running late again.

"Hi.. Hello! Vicki Nelson at your service." she replied as she hurried to the doorway.

The woman looked around thirty-five, brown hair wrapped neatly and pinned atop her head. She was a thin but 'homely' woman, dressed in a long white, floral dress with blue cardigan over the top. Dark under the eyes, the colour drained from her face. She stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, holding her brown leather purse in front of her.

"Hi.. my name is Suzanna Turner. I... I'd like to speak to you about my sister." she spoke quietly as her eyes began to well up with tears.

Vicki quickly grabbed a box of tissues from Coreen's desk to offer to her.

"Please.. come in and sit down." Vicki guided her in to her office to take a seat in one of the chairs opposite her desk, placing the tissue box next to her.

Suzanna wiped her eyes and took a deep breath as she tried to compose herself. "My sister.. Abigail.. passed away just a week ago."

"I'm so sorry for your loss." Vicki responded compassionately.

"She was only twenty-two.. my baby sister..." she trailed off, reaching for another tissue.

"May I ask how she died?" Vicki enquired.

"That's why I'm here... they said she died because she drank too much. They've labelled her a party girl because she had drugs in her system...but she was a good girl.." Suzanna stopped briefly to blow her nose before continuing, "I believe someone did this to her."

"Why do you think that? Do you think someone intentionally drugged her?" Vicki took a seat back in her chair.

"They said it was self inflicted, that Abby did this to herself, but yes I believe she was drugged, and I need your help to track down the people responsible. The police just won't take this seriously."

"Sometimes it can be very hard to prove whether or not someone willingly does this to themselves.. is it possible that she simply let her hair down a little too much and made some very bad choices?" Vicki queried gently.

Suzanna was shaking her head "Abigail lived a very quiet life. She had just started a fantastic new clerical position for a large law firm, she had a small circle of friends and no boyfriend we knew of. She lived with me and my fiance, even paid us generously to live in the spare room upstairs. Everything seemed to change around three weeks ago.."

They were suddenly interrupted, both women looking up as Coreen rushed into the office, wearing a combination of black and dark red clothing. Fishnet stockings webbed up her legs."Sorry I'm late Vicki... I... oh...sorry.. you're with a client.. my bad!"

"Coreen could you please get Ms Turner a glass of water?" Vicki requested, waving her hand in Suzanna's direction to identify her.

"Sure thing!" Coreen rushed off to drop her various accessories at her desk and headed off to the kitchenette for a clean glass.

Vicki turned her attention back to Suzanna and continued her questioning,"So what changed?"

"Abby appeared to lose her focus. I don't know what happened. She stopped going to work, she would get dressed up and go out all night, without telling us where she was going. She'd sleep all day.. became distant.."

_"Sounds like someone I know.." _Vicki thought to herself.

"It continued until I found her a week ago. I went to try and wake her up, to try yet again to persuade her to return to work.. but she wouldn't wake up..." Suzanna was crying again, "Sorry" she mumbled reaching for yet more tissues.

"Please.. don't apologise." Vicki felt somewhat awkward. She never felt very confident at providing comfort to those experiencing times of great loss, even after all her years in the police force.

Coreen returned with a cold glass of water and offered it to Suzanna, putting a hand on the woman's shoulder to offer support. She waited for few moments to see if she was needed for anything else before returning to her desk in the other room.

"I think she met someone... someone who did this to her. I need to know if she was killed.. if she was lured into it, or if she did it willingly."

"Well I'll do what I can if you would like me to investigate?"

"Yes. Please." Suzanna responded.

"If it's OK with you, I'd like to start by talking to the police, then I'll come by your house to look at Abigail's belongings?" Vicki asked.

"That would be fine. I must go now though, I have still have a few of Abby's affairs to sort out." Suzanna put her dirty tissues away in her purse and prepared to leave.

"Yes of course. If you could leave your details with Coreen on your way out, I'll be in touch soon."

They shook hands gently before Suzanna Turner left the office. Vicki inhaled deeply and put her hands on her hips, wondering where this case would lead.


	4. Chapter 4

Vicki entered the all too familiar police station to look for Mike. From a short distance away she could see Detective Kate Lam sitting the edge of Mike's desk, laughing at some apparent joke he'd just made. She felt a small sting of jealousy over the fact that Mike was revelling in Kate's flirtatious affections.

_"That used to be me.. sitting on his desk.. pretending to laugh at his bad jokes._" she thought bitterly.

They both stopped smiling as Vicki approached.

Kate stood up and cleared her throat, "Vicki.. hello."

"Kate." Vicki greeted her with a nod.

Kate quickly made herself scarce, giving Vicki a disapproving look before moving back to her own desk.

Detective Mike Celluci had his arms folded behind his head as he spoke to her, leaning back in his office chair,"Vick.. what's up? Haven't heard from you in a while."

"Not much.. it's been all pretty quiet on the supernatural front these last few weeks. Just a bunch of pretty regular, _normal_ cases to deal with."

"And let me guess.. you need _my_ help with something?" he folded his arms across his chest, suspicious about Vicki's visit.

"Well _actually_..." she said sheepishly.

"Oh here we go... what is it _this time_ Vicki?"

"Calm down Mike.. nothing to get worked up about. I've got a client who wants me to investigate her sister's death... Abigail Turner... died a week ago?" she inquired.

"Oh yeah, the party girl. Nothing overly suspicious from what I heard though. Not my case. I think John over in Narcotics was going to take a brief look at it."

"Ugh.. I hate talking to the Narcs. They freak me out a little, always have. Might just go down and talk to Rajani about it." Vicki replied.

"Yeah well I think I'll chaperon your visit. Crowley's gonna go nuts if she catches you wandering around the building unattended."

Vicki rolled her eyes and headed down to the coroner's office, Mike in tow.

Dr Rajani Mohadevan was busy scrutinising the toes of a overweight male corpse when they arrived.

"Vicki.. hello! It's so good to see you again! Detective Celluci, nice to see you too!" she greeted them warmly.

Vicki always felt guilty about not making more of an effort to keep in touch with Rajani. The two of them could potentially have a great friendship if only Vicki would make the effort. Especially considering Rajani seemed very open minded about all things 'other worldly'.

"Hey Rajani. I need your help.. as always."

Vicki wandered over to look over the dead man, thankfully he was still 'intact', not that she was easily sickened any more. After years of being a cop, she'd seen so much worse.

Mike hovered around the morgue entry, he didn't particularly like being down here with the dead.

"Shoot Vicki. What would you like to know?" the Doctor asked.

"I need to know about Abigail Turner.. apparently drank herself to death a week ago?" Vicki asked.

"Ah yes, such a pretty young woman. Very sad." Rajani sighed.

"Any chance it wasn't accidental?"

Rajani stripped off her latex gloves and headed to her computer, bringing up Abigail's file on screen. Mike and Vicki both came to look over her shoulder.

"There was no forensic evidence to suggest anything suspicious. Her blood alcohol concentration level was _0.63_, that's one-point-three percent more than the recommended maximum."

"Wow." Vicki exclaimed.

"The poor girl had barely anything in her stomach or digestive system, except large quantities of a variety of red and white wines. The only suspicious element of her death is that her toxicology results found an unidentifiable organic compound in her blood. A compound also found in her stomach contents."

"Unidentifiable?" Vicki questioned.

"Yes, have no idea what it is or where it comes from. All I can tell you its chemical structure is very similar to cannabis. The narcotics squad were very interested in it that is for sure."

"But it was the alcohol that killed her?" Mike interjected.

"Yes, the narcotic was present, but only a trace amount. Not nearly enough to kill her. She died of septic blood poisoning from the binge drinking. Her bladder was close to rupturing from the sheer amount of fluid. There were no needle marks, no bruising to indicate she was forced to drink. Just copious amounts of wine. I cannot however prove that the narcotic was in the wine, only that she ingested it. For all we know it might be the latest party drug on the scene." Rajani explained in detail.

Vicki turned to Mike "Hey Mike, if we could confirm that the drug was put in the wine, without the victim's knowledge do you think the case would get a little more attention?"

"Can't guarantee a murder or manslaughter conviction Vicki, but if we're talking about drink spiking then maybe someone would look into it." Mike replied.

"Ok, thanks, both of you. I'd better get going." Vicki headed for the morgue exit.

"Oh one more thing, it may not be relevant, but Abigail had sex before she died. Consensual from the looks of it.. but I very much doubt she would have remembered it, that is, if

she had lived through the night." Rajani revealed.

"Thanks again Rajani." Vicki said.

Mike gave Vicki a solemn look as she began to leave, "Hey Vick... let me know if you need me OK?"

"Always do, don't I?" she replied with a smile as she departed.

Vicki reached for her cell phone and left a message for Henry, giving him the details of the case, asking him to visit the Turner residence with her this evening.


	5. Chapter 5

Henry and Vicki parked out the front of the Turner house early that evening, welcomed by Suzanna at the front door.

"Hello again. This is my associate Henry Fitzroy. Thank you again for allowing us to come by." Vicki spoke professionally.

"My condolences to you and your family." Henry added.

"Thank you. Please, come in. I'll show you to Abby's room." Suzanna replied.

They entered the house and were guided upstairs to a small but nicely furnished bedroom. A brightly coloured double bed was surrounded with assorted pieces of furniture. A set of drawers was against one wall, on top was a selection of photo frames and a scattering of necklaces, earrings and makeup. A laptop computer rested closed on a desk on the other side of the room.

"I'll leave you both to look around. I'm afraid it's just too draining for me to be going through her things right now. I trust you are probably more capable than I am at finding anything useful anyway. I'll be downstairs if you need me." Suzanna spoke softly and walked quietly back downstairs.

"So what _exactly_ are we doing here Vicki?" Henry asked.

He was in an irritable mood. Vicki had been so persistent that he join her once he woke, not allowing him time to eat beforehand. He preferred to go out for an early _breakfast_.

"Trying to figure out where Abby was going, and who with." Vicki replied.

"And you needed me here because...?"

She really didn't need Henry for this case, but after all these months of working together she had grown accustomed to having him by her side. She had found that their most engaging and entertaining conversations usually took place when they were working a case together. These were the moments that stuck in Vicki's mind, the memories that could be replayed in her head word for word, to keep her company on long lonely nights.

"Because you can usually sniff out the good clues." she eventually suggested with a smile.

Henry groaned and rolled his eyes at being treated yet again like a blood hound.

Henry shook his head as he spoke,"I'm not exactly sure why you took on this case Vicki. Suzanna Turner's pain will not be eased with the knowledge of where her sister drank or with whom. She may simply need to accept that sometimes good girls just turn bad."

Vicki started to rummage through the drawers "No no Henry.. good girls don't necessarily turn bad.. not without reason."

Henry stood back and watched Vicki as she scurried about the bedroom.

"So you're telling me Vicki, that a woman cannot shrug off the shackles of conformity, _unleash_ her repressed desires and seek out comfort in the dark side of her human nature?"

"Well.. I wouldn't have said it in so many words, but yes, there usually has to be a _catalyst_ of _some_ kind. A lack of self esteem, too much stress, dealing with an emotional loss. Most of the time it's all done in vain, for the _attention of a man_." she replied, trying to offer an intelligent response to his profound question.

Henry smiled seductively as he approached and cornered Vicki, his arms pressed out against the walls either side of her.

"And what would it take _for you_ Vicki? To give in to those primal urges that you believe to be so terribly _bad_?" he smiled devilishly at her.

"Well ... that's for _me_ to know..." she flashed him a coy smile while finishing the second half of the sentence silently in her head, _"...and for Henry to find out."_

Henry grinned and laughed. Before he could respond Vicki had crouched under his arm and escaped to the computer desk where she opened Abby's laptop for further inspection.

Vicki waited for the computer to boot up, counting her blessings when finding there was no password protection. She checked Abigail's recent documents, and visited websites. Most had not been looked at in several weeks. Upon reviewing her inbox she found the type of information she was looking for.

A simple email, dated one week prior from a 'Brian Acchus'.

_"Hope to see you tonight. You know the place. Same as always." _

Vicki pulled out her phone and called Coreen.

"Coreen.. its Vicki. First thing I need to you to do tomorrow morning is to see if you can track down a Mr Brian Acchus.


	6. Chapter 6

Coreen was already in when Vicki arrived at the office the following morning. Coreen rushed over to her as she walked through the front door.

"OK Vicki.. I think I've found the Brian you're looking for!" Coreen announced with glee.

Coreen was always so enthusiastic. Even the smallest tasks she undertook with such vigour, finding some degree of self satisfaction in everything she did. Vicki was forever grateful for it. Quite frankly she hated doing research. She had enough trouble just finding 'Google' on the web, let alone using it to actually _find_ anything. Vicki much preferred the old fashioned techniques like running police checks and the like. Thankfully Coreen was around to provide some modern alternatives.

"Show us what you've got." Vicki asked as she walked to the kitchenette to get herself a coffee.

"It was way too easy!" Coreen exclaimed. "Providing that the sender of the email was not using a false name, the phone book only had one listing for a Brian Acchus in Toronto, in all of Ontario actually. Nice when they have unique names."

"Hmm, and we know it's him because...?" Vicki added some sugar to her drink and stirred as she walked back to Coreen's desk.

Coreen was now sitting at her desk clicking at her mouse, scanning information on her computer as she relayed her findings to Vicki, "Oh oh.. this is the good part. Brian is the head of the very successful international 'Acchus Estate Wine Co'. He's got vineyards all over the world. Just a few years ago his company setup a small winery on some acreage not too far out of town."

"You know... I think I might have actually seen some of their wine at the liquor store." Vicki mused while sipping her hot coffee.

"Wow.. you actually went past the bottles of scotch to see the wine?" Coreen teased.

"Hey Coreen.. don't forget who's paying your salary. And yes, I'll have you know I'm not totally void of culture."

Coreen raised an eyebrow at her boss in reply.

"OK" Vicki continued, "So you're right in suggesting that it sounds a little too easy, but we have a girl who drank herself to death and an email that potentially links her to the owner of a wine company. Gotta follow the leads in order to rule them out as a coincidence."

"Well.. here's the phone number and address for the vineyard." Coreen scribbled down the information on a sheet of paper and handed it to Vicki.

"Y'know... I think I might just take a trip out to the cellar door and see if he's around."

"What makes you think he'll be there?" Coreen asked.

Vicki shrugged, "Dunno. Feeling lucky I guess… and any excuse to go taste some wine sounds like a good excuse to me."

Coreen gave her a hopeful look, "Can I come?"

"Nope." was Vicki's short reply.

She downed the rest of her coffee and headed out again, leaving a pouting Coreen to look after the office.


	7. Chapter 7

Vicki took a relatively short but expensive taxi ride outside the city limits, travelling along a lengthy rural road till they reached the winery. An elegant sign identified it from the street. Its paved driveway was neatly lined with a row of small pine trees which led towards an old-fashioned timber homestead. A small vineyard flowed out on low rolling hills behind it. It was barren and fruitless, the cold winter air stunting its seasonal growth.

She stepped out of the car and breathed in deeply. She soaked in the feeling of freedom and space now that she had temporarily escaped from the urban sprawl of the city. She informed the taxi driver to wait for her and leave the meter running, in order to return her back to the office at the conclusion of her business. She handed him enough cash to cover only half her fare as incentive for him to stay.

Vicki followed the signage that directed visitors to proceed to the cellar at the front of the building. The sound of her footsteps echoed up through to the rafters of the large timber-filled building as she walked through the entrance and across the hardwood floor.

The front room had been converted into a showroom and cafe. A counter ran along one wall, various bottles of wine displayed on shelves behind it. Glasses and flutes sat ready to be filled with wine for tasting.

A pretentious group of young business people had stopped by for some 'wine appreciation'. An older woman stood behind the bar pouring small servings of various wines one at a time for them to try. The group sniffed, swirled, sipped and spat, pulling faces to express their dislike of what they'd just been given for free. Vicki rolled her eyes and thought, "_They wouldn't know good wine if it bit them on the ass!" _

She leaned on the counter and looked around for someone in charge. A young brunette emerged from a side door and greeted Vicki.

"Hi. How can I help you today?" the woman politely asked.

"Hello. My name is Vicki Nelson., I'm a private investigator. I'm actually hoping to speak with Mr Brian Acchus?"

"You're in luck. Brian has been out on business for the last week but he's in today. Give me a minute and I will let him know you are here. Can I ask what it is in relation to?"

"I just need to ask him a few questions about a case I'm working on."

"OK thanks. I'll see if he's available." The woman gave Vicki a curious look before disappearing back through the side door.

Within a few moments an older gentleman came out, walked over and shook Vicki's hand.

"Hello.. I'm Brian. I believe you wanted to see me?" he smiled warmly.

He was the type of man that could be described as 'debonair'. He was dressed in casual business attire, open collared shirt and black pants. His had a full head of silver coloured hair and a neatly trimmed beard which framed his strong facial features. Vicki presumed he must have been in his late fifties, yet despite the lack of pigment in his hair he showed no real signs of age or fatigue. His gestures exuded confidence and grace.

"Hi, yes. I need to speak to you about a girl by the name of Abigail Turner." she replied.

"Please, lets talk in my office upstairs."

Vicki followed Brian out the to rear of the homestead, up a small staircase and into his sophisticated office. He took a seat behind his large mahogany desk, inviting Vicki to take a seat opposite.

"Now, what would you like to know about Abby?" he asked politely

"So you know her?" Vicki queried,

"Yes, but I must admit I haven't known her for very long, I only met the dear girl about a month ago."

"And when you did you last see her?"

"Why, it was only just over a week ago, she attended a gathering at my place. What's all this about?" Brian looked at Vicki with concern.

"Well Mr Acchus, Abby is dead, she died a week ago from alcohol poisoning. Perhaps after coming to your so-called gathering?"

A sad look came across Brian's face. Vicki felt it to be genuine but couldn't quite get a true reading on him yet. He sighed before he responded to her.

"I'll be the first to admit I like to spoil my guests with food and wine, but I am a very responsible host. My assistants and I put her in a cab and sent her home around ten pm because she was falling asleep out on the patio. We presumed she'd simply had one too many late nights so we sent her home to sleep. She was a little drowsy but far from comatose. It's quite possible she 'partied-on' elsewhere afterwards."

"So how well did you know this girl?" Vicki asked.

"As I've just mentioned, I've only known her a few weeks. I was doing business with the law firm she worked for, and after a business luncheon I invited them to a get-together that evening. Abby came along, and attended every function thereafter. I think the poor girl might have been a tad lonely."

Brian seemed perfectly calm despite Vicki's questioning. She was concerned that his answers were being provided so easily, scripted almost.

"Invited _them_? The email I saw seemed to hint at an invitation for something a little more intimate between the two of you?"

Brian laughed, "Oh my dear Ms Nelson, I send the _same_ invitation to everyone I know, nearly _every_ week. In my business I've learnt to make every person I know feel like the most important person on earth. Don't want to go burning bridges and the like."

"So any drug use at these parties?" she asked as delicately as she knew how.

"Not provided by me if that's what you are insinuating. I offer a nice drop of red, or white if they prefer, and some _excellent_ cuisine as prepared by my personal chefs. No additional stimulants necessary if you ask me." Brian gloated and smiled as he leaned on his desk.

"But there _could_ be drugs at your little shin-digs?" Vicki persisted.

"Not to my knowledge, and I would hope my guests would have enough respect for me and my property to keep it _clean_ so-to-speak." he stated.

"So... could you give me a list of names of the people she was with last week?" Vicki gave him a hopeful look.

"I'd be more than willing, however Abby was quite the social butterfly, the list will be quite long. Why don't you save yourself some time and come by my place this evening? I'm playing host again tonight and I'd imagine most of them will be there for the free provisions... and good company of course. You'll also have the opportunity to see that my parties are very professional and well behaved."

"That would be very hospitable of you. I think I will take you up on that offer." Vicki replied.

"Please do... and bring some friends. The more the merrier!" Brian scribbled his address and cell phone number down on a piece of paper and handed it to her.

"Thanks for your time Mr Acchus. I'd best be on my way. If you could email me that list of names in the meantime it would be greatly appreciated." She passed him one of her a business cards.

"I will... but please... call me Brian. I hope to see you this evening Ms Nelson. Please give my condolences to Abigail's family. I truly am sorry."

Brian stood courteously as Vicki prepared to leave, holding the office door open for her exit.

"Thanks again for your assistance...Brian" she replied.

As she moved down the stairs she wondered why Brian had not questioned her visit. Most suspects wanted to know why she was investigating _them,_ or why she was asking questions instead of the police, yet he had asked no questions. Strange.

Shrugging off her suspicions she glanced over at the wine tasting counter with a smile.

_"Hmm... it would be wrong to not try at least one red while I'm here..." _


	8. Chapter 8

"OK Coreen, so when we go to this party tonight I want you to be on the lookout for anyone dropping little pills into drinks, anyone looking suspicious and don't.. I repeat_ don't_ take your eye off your glass for one second!" Vicki instructed.

They were standing in the driveway outside the very large and impressive home of Brian Acchus. Vicki had worn the only little-black-dress she owned, modestly covered up with a long black coat. Her hair fell smoothly around her face. She felt somewhat blind without her glasses, but chose not to wear them for fear of ruining her 'classy look'.

Coreen, not venturing too far from her gothic origins, was wearing a long, dark purple, strapless dress. Her dark hair was long and straight, parted down the middle. She wore a black knitted jacket over the top.

"Yes, you've told me this already Vicki. I do go out to clubs you know. This isn't exactly unfamiliar territory for me."

"Well now is not the time to let your guard down. Did you memorise the list of names that Brian emailed over?"

"Yes Vicki." Coreen replied. She really hated how Vicki treated her like a child sometimes. Unfortunately Vicki was too distracted to notice the filthy look that Coreen was attempting to give her.

"Well.." Vicki continued, "It's still early evening. Henry said he would meet us here a little later on. I'm hoping he can use his vampire mojo to get a little information out of whoever shows up tonight."

Vicki looked a little nervous, she was clenching her right hand into a fist, and fiddling with a small black purse that she held in her left. She took several deep breaths.

"You OK?" Coreen asked with concern.

"Yeah...fine. Let's go party." Vicki replied.

A butler greeted them at the lavish entryway before taking their coats and hanging them on a nearby clothes rack. Brian appeared in the foyer wearing a cream coloured leisure suit and white shirt.

"Vicki. I'm so glad you could make it." he reached and placed a gentle kiss on her hand to welcome her.

Vicki was a little shocked by the chivalry. She had always believed Henry to be the most chivalrous man she knew but Brian was taking the concept to a whole new level.

"Hi Brian. This is my assistant Coreen."

Coreen was charmed already, she held out her hand in anticipation of having it kissed as well. Brian did not disappoint.

"Lovely to meet you Coreen. You both look absolutely beautiful this evening. Please come in and join the festivities." Brian beckoned for them to follow him.

Vicki and Coreen followed him through the large foyer and out to a large dining room. A huge buffet was laid out for his guests. The table was filled with exotic finger-foods, shellfish, caviar, crackers and cheese. A large bar filled one corner of the room where a young man was serving drinks to the small number of people who had already arrived.

Brian went to the bar and returned with an unopened bottle of wine and two glasses.

"Please ladies, you absolutely must try the award winning two-thousand-and-five Acchus Estate Chardonnay."

Brian set down the glasses on a nearby table and uncorked the bottle, filling a glass for them both. Vicki and Coreen politely accepted the drink.

Vicki took a sip and spoke up, "Hmm an intense fruity bouquet. Delicate buttery after-taste. Do I detect a hint of vanilla and...let me see... grapefruit?"

Brian clapped his hands with joy "Oh my dear you are exquisite. I love a good connoisseur!"

Coreen's jaw had dropped to the floor in shock.

"What can I say... I like what I like.", Vicki shrugged her shoulders modestly but smiled proudly.

The three of them made social chit-chat for around fifteen minutes before Coreen began making flirtatious eye contact with a handsome young man across the room.

"Um Vicki, I'm going to uh.. _question_ some of the guests." Coreen said, not dropping her gaze from the man.

"Alright.. just remember what I said outside OK?" Vicki muttered to Coreen under her breath.

"Uh-huh..." the distracted Coreen replied before wandering away.

"So Vicki.." Brian spoke bringing Vicki's attention back to him. "I know you're here to work, but before you start quizzing my guests I really must share one other thing with you. Now that I'm aware of how much of a wine lover you are, you _must_ be the first to try my latest drop before I serve it to my guests tonight."

"Oh Brian you can't spend all your time entertaining little ol' me. You have so many people arriving as we speak." she spoke softly.

"Bah! They can wait. Besides.. they've all been taste testers for my new recipes. It's nice to have a fresh face.. or fresh palette I should say." he smiled charmingly.

"Oh I don't know. I really would like to start asking questions before any of them get a little too forgetful if you know what I mean..."

"Ah they are a very civilised bunch. They can talk all night if you let them. C'mon, give me ten minutes...it would mean the world to me... please?" Brian begged sweetly with a boyish smile that helped disguise his age.

Vicki shrugged "OK.. I guess...why not."

She followed Brian through long hallways and various rooms to a lounge area that opened up to a small, private courtyard. On one wall hung a large, painted portrait of an androgynous young man. He appeared to be in his early twenties, with long brown hair, deep brown eyes and smooth creamy skin, posing majestically against a black back-drop.

_"Wow he could really give Henry a run for his money in the pretty boy stakes", _Vicki thought to herself.

She began to wonder what Brian was doing with a picture of a beautiful young man on his wall. Perhaps she'd missed the signs that Brian was gay?

Noticing Vicki's curiosity as she stared at the painting, Brian spoke up, "Oh, that's my son, Brian Junior. He'll take over the wine business when I'm gone, just as I did when my father passed. It's a bit of a family legacy you see."

"Nice looking boy." she complimented.

"Why thank you, he got his mother's looks thankfully. Please, come and join me in the courtyard."

From out in the courtyard Vicki could see expansive gardens under the moonlit sky, her attention drawn to a large pool at the rear of the house, where guests were beginning to gather.

A small table with two chairs sat in the middle of the courtyard. Vicki was a little concerned about being dragged so far from all the other guests, and being in a room with just Brian, and yet another butler who stood in the courtyard, waiting to provide his services.

Brian pulled out the chair for her. "You must excuse the solitude. As much as I love to entertain it is nice to escape the crowds every once in a while."

Vicki sat down and folded her legs, she felt a little awkward and lost for words.

Brian nodded to the butler who quickly produced another bottle of wine, a red this time, opened it and poured Vicki a glass.

"You're not joining me?" she asked.

"In a moment I will. I must dedicate my full attention to seeing your reaction. I must know what you think!" he said.

Vicki sniffed at the glass, swirled it around and paused before taking a sip. "So.. I'm guessing a Merlot?"

Brian nodded and smiled, "This one in particular is produced in one of my small boutique wineries in South Australia."

Vicki considered the risks, but given that the bottle had been corked and sealed she believed it was safe. She took a mouthful and relished in its flavour, too overwhelmed by its deliciousness to provide a witty critique.

"Oh wow that is good."

Brian grinned and had the butler top up her glass.

Vicki began to mellow, warmth spreading from her head to her toes. She smiled and took another drink, followed swiftly by another.

Brian turned to his butler, "David, I do believe the other guests will be waiting for their Merlot."


	9. Chapter 9

Henry arrived at the Acchus Manor a few hours later, parking his Jag behind a lengthy line of assorted luxury vehicles that trailed alongside the expansive well lit concrete driveway.

"Quite a gathering here tonight." he said quietly to himself.

As he approached the house he admired the immaculate beauty of its structure and the manicured gardens that surrounded it. Most of all, he admired the wealth that must be invested in it.

Henry had dressed in his usual modern vampire affair, black pants, a dark red collared shirt and his black leather jacket. He questioned whether he was suitably attired for such a fancy place. It would have to suffice.

The front door was open, but Henry was drawn to the loud chatter, laughter and barely audible music emitting from the rear of the house. Presuming he may find Vicki and Coreen amongst the supposed crowd, he followed his way down a pebble covered path at the side of the building.

A festive atmosphere became more apparent now as he entered a stylish tiled patio area which lead out to a classically styled in-ground pool. Well crafted stone sculptures decorated it's edges, an ethereal blue light beamed from its liquid contents.

A large group had gathered here. Most of them appeared to be in their twenties and early thirties, beautiful people, all dressed to impress. Wine was clearly the drink of choice. Bottles and glasses were strewn around the place, left on the tiled floor, on lawn furniture and dumped on the various tables that were laid out with platters offering an assortment of gourmet snacks.

As Henry began to move through the group, he became more aware of various levels of intoxication. Couples were flirting unashamedly, some dancing intimately on an imaginary dance floor, others whispering quietly to one another and 'making out' in the dimly lit sections of the garden.

He had almost regretted stopping for 'a bite to eat' after he had left his apartment. There was a smorgasbord of gorgeous women, eyeing him through the crowd, any of which could have been his for the tasting.

Not sensing or seeing either Vicki or Coreen outside, Henry began to make his way inside the house. The sound of a squeal, a loud splash followed by raucous laughter could be heard behind him as a young girl was tossed into the pool by two brutish young men.

Henry could sense a slightly different mood as he entered the house and into an extravagant entertainment area. Brightly lit, the room was divided into three sections.

One section contained a big screen TV, tuned in to a music video channel showing a clip with scantily clad young women gyrating to a techno beat. A variety of side tables and plush sofas were here. One sofa filled by two men with a young woman draped across their laps. The young woman was kissing one man, while the other appeared to be sliding his hand up under her dress.

In the middle of the room was a gaming table. A round of what Henry quickly identified as strip poker was underway. Five players in various stages of undress were busy throwing down cards and brightly coloured chips. The men wolf-whistled and cheered as one of the girls removed her bra and threw it across the table.

The other side of the room contained a pool table. One girl was leaning down on top of the side of the table with her very low cut top, as if she were presenting her cleavage as one of the 'pockets'. A short, blonde, college-aged girl was in control of the pool cue, leaning down to take her shot, getting guidance from a similarly aged man who stood closely behind her. She was making no efforts to hide the fact that she was grinding her hips back against him as he leaned in over the top of her, arms over hers, as if to help her with her aim and technique.

The scenes of drunken debauchery were amusing to Henry, but he was focused on locating Vicki and Coreen, to ensure their safety while they were supposedly 'investigating' the death of the young Miss Turner.

Picking up on Vicki's familiar scent faintly in the distance now, he headed into a darkened hallway at far end of the room.

As he approached the end of the hallway, he entered a large candlelit room which revealed a surprising site. A mass of naked writhing bodies filled its entirety, all partaking in various sexual activities, filling the couches, the floor and up against the walls. Women with men, women with women, men with men. Gasps, groans and bodily noises filled the otherwise quiet room. Should the novelty of group sex not have worn off some time during his first hundred years, Henry might have actually been aroused. The collective sound of blood pumping aggressively through the veins of these promiscuous beings made him hungry, but not for the flesh.

His immediate fear was that Vicki had given in to her carnal desires, that she was one of the many naked, sweaty bodies in the room. The thought filled him with jealousy and sadness. This was not like her at all.

He could barely detect her scent amongst the cloud of pheromones that filled the air. He scanned the room looking for her, wandering around in an attempt to identify her amongst the several honey-blonde haired women sprawled about the room, stepping over arms, legs and torsos in his path.

A sense of relief washed over him. She was not here. But where was she?

Another exit eventually led Henry out into a grand foyer, a shiny marble floor led to a majestic staircase that spiralled up to the second floor. Expensive artwork adorned the walls. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling.

At the opposite end of the foyer, was what Henry could only describe as a 'parlour'. This room too was candle lit. It did not have doors yet its doorway was veiled with a thin, almost transparent fabric. From what he could make out, it appeared to be painted red inside, filled with matching floor rugs, sofas and decorations. Its soft red glow spilled out into the foyer. Henry could detect the presence of someone inside.

As he approached, music began to play within. A lone female figure stepped into the middle of the room, silhouetted against the curtain.

As the rhythmic beats of a sensual tune filled the air, the woman began to dance.

It took only a moment for Henry to recognise her. The lone dancer was Vicki.

She was dressed in the tight little black dress he had seen her in just weeks before. The first time he'd ever seen her out of her jeans and t-shirts was at his art exhibition. Just as it had then, the dress again clung tightly to her curves, displaying her long slender legs. Vicki's hair was loose and slightly unkempt.

Henry crept closer, watching intently as she began to sway her hips softly from side to side. Her eyes were closed as if lost in the music, oblivious to the world around her.

He watched as she began to run her hands over her body as she danced. She traced her own outline with her fingers, down over her breasts, stomach, hips, thighs then slowly all the way back up again. Vicki was putting on an uninhibited performance that Henry secretly hoped was all for him.

What had gotten in to her? He'd never seen her like this. Not that he was complaining, but he presumed that like everyone else tonight, she too had been drinking. The thought that she would ever do this with a conscious mind was too unreal. It would be something Henry would secretly wish for none the less. He pictured her standing at the end of his bed, dancing for his amusement.

The temptation to sneak into the parlour for a closer look was too much to resist. He feared he may never get the opportunity to see this glorious seductive creature act like this again.

Grinning fiercely now, extremely turned on, he parted the curtain and crept inside.

It immediately became evident that Vicki was not alone. Vicki had an audience.

An older, silver haired gentleman sat in an arm chair across the room, resting his chin on one hand, wine glass in the other. He was watching Vicki intently.

Henry wanted to race over and break the neck of this lecherous old pervert in a fit of jealous rage, before it suddenly dawned on Henry as to why he thought Vicki had been alone.

Standing outside just seconds ago, he'd heard the sound of only one heart beating inside the parlour, and that heart beat belonged to Vicki.

This 'man' was not human.

He reached for Vicki and grabbed her by the arm. He wanted to get her out of this place, and fast. Vicki spun around, her dance disrupted.

"Henry! You made it to the party!" she said joyously as she wrapped her arms around him.

It confirmed his suspicions that she was indeed drunk. She'd _never _greeted him with a hug before. The fruity odour of wine on her breath was also another obvious clue.

"C'mon Vicki, time to leave." Henry commanded.

"But you just got here...stay a little while... dance with me." Vicki had him by the hand as she shuffled her feet with the music, attempting to lure Henry into the rhythm.

The man in the armchair stood and spoke. "It seems to me that Victoria is no in a hurry to go anywhere. Maybe you should just leave her be. I promise I'll take _good_ care of her." he said audaciously.

Henry was on him in an instant, fangs reared, eyes black as night. He had him by the neck , leaving him suspended mid air. The old man's wine glass fell from his hand, dramatically splashing red wine across the floor.

Henry spoke in his deep, threatening and hypnotic growl, _"We are leaving. Vicki was not here tonight. You never met her and you will not contact her again." _

The man began to laugh, his body jiggling like a rag doll in Henry's grip. He did not struggle, making Henry wonder if it was even possible to suffocate or break the neck of a creature who's heart did not beat - _whatever_ he was. Not human, nor vampire. Henry could not identify him.

Vicki, apparently blind to the situation in front of her simply stood back with a look of mild confusion on her face.

"Oh, Henry this is Brian. Brian this is Henry." she stated as she waved back and forth between the two men. She then began humming along with the music still playing in the parlour, clicking her fingers in time with the beat.

Brian was grinning at Henry now. "So a Night-walker eh? Well child, I suggest you put me down immediately."

"_Child?_ How dare you patronize me! I've walked this earth for nearly five hundred years!" Henry tightened his fingers around Brian's throat.

"Didn't you ever learn to respect your _elders _vampire?"

In an instant Brian had twisted Henry's wrist to instigate his release. He slammed his fists into Henry chest, catapulting him across the room. His weight tearing through the curtain as he flew out into the foyer, the momentum sliding him across the smooth marble floor. Vicki raced out after him.

"Oh wow Henry..that looked _really_ cool. Are you OK?" she asked with a laugh, sitting down cross-legged next to him on the cold hard floor.

Henry groaned, feeling two large bruises begin to form on his chest. His tolerance for Vicki's intoxication was beginning to wane, "Vicki where is Coreen?"

"Upstairs.. with some guy." she shrugged.

With lightning speed Henry raced upstairs, blowing like the wind into a variety of bedrooms.

Vicki stood up in the foyer, glancing back behind her to see Brian venture out from the parlour. She smiled and waved to him sheepishly as he watched her from afar.

She turned back around and noticed a lone bottle of unopened Merlot which sat temptingly on the hallway table. Vicki picked it up and stared at it. She addressed the wine bottle with an authoritative tone, pointing at it commandingly, her brow furrowed. "_You're coming home with me tonight_." she informed the inanimate object.

Eventually Henry returned with a slightly dishevelled Coreen to the bottom of the stair case.

"Hey... what's all this about?" Coreen mumbled, also tipsy.

"You two, grab your coats, let's go... now!" Henry ordered.

"Oh geeze... fine.. OK." Vicki muttered in response followed by a hiccup.

Both ladies clumsily grabbed their coats from the rack and begrudgingly headed out the front door. Vicki's hand still clutched tightly around the bottle of wine.

Brian stood in the parlour doorway, a smirk on his face and arms crossed as he watched the vampire make a hasty retreat.


	10. Chapter 10

Henry had driven a still slightly drunk Coreen home. He'd made sure she was safely inside before returning to Vicki in the car, finding her busy singing and 'grooving' to an eighties pop song playing on the radio.

He drove to his apartment. His first instinct had been to take Vicki home, but given her state of inebriation he wanted to keep an eye on her. He was genuinely concerned for her welfare, and maybe just a _little_ curious to see more of Vicki in her unabashed state.

She appeared to be sobering up. She was staggering less now as they walked down the hallway and through Henry's front door. He took her coat, her purse and the precious bottle of Merlot she'd had her in her tight grasp on the entire ride home.

"Hey, give that back!" she demanded

"You've had enough for one night Vicki." he said.

Vicki pouted and walked towards him "Aww but I'm only getting started..." she teased.

Ignoring her comment he went to the kitchen and fetched her a glass of water. "Here.. drink."

She obediently drank the entire glass and handed it back to him, "There. Happy now?"

"I'll be happy when you've had a good nights rest and you're back to your normal self." Henry replied.

Vicki folded her arms and pouted, "But normal Vicki is boring and stuffy. She's a stick-in-the-mud. No fun at all."

Henry put the glass down on a side table and turned to face her, "Don't be too hard on yourself. 'Sober Vicki' could have a lot of fun too if only she'd let her guard down every once in a while."

Vicki approached him. She reached out and moved her hands along his chest, her hands roaming gently along the smooth cotton of his shirt. "Hmm well Henry... my guard is down.. no barriers with _this_ Vicki tonight." she whispered.

Henry inhaled deeply.

"And this Vicki.." she continued, "is in the mood for a little _fun_."

She undid the top button of Henry's shirt.

Henry stood firm, he was reluctant to respond to her behaviour. "And that mood would have _nothing_ to do with the significant quantities of alcohol you've consumed in the last few hours?" he asked.

Vicki leaned in and places torturous kisses on the top of his chest as she continued to unbutton the rest of his shirt. "Nope." she replied.

Henry ground his teeth in frustration, "Vicki I really think you should get some rest. Why don't you go and get a few hours sleep in my bed?"

"Hmm that bed of yours. I've dreamed about that bed of yours you know." she spoke quietly.

"I bet you have. Now please, go and get some sleep Vicki."

Her persistent kisses across his chest were slowly driving Henry mad, but he had convinced himself he would not take advantage of her in this state. Surely she was far too intoxicated to know what she was doing?

Vicki was pouting again "But I don't have any pyjamas here."

Henry sighed, "You can borrow one of my shirts to sleep in."

"OK..." she replied with a grin.

Henry finally exhaled as her teasing stopped. Vicki began to walk towards his bedroom. She stopped midway, and while still facing the other direction, reached behind and slowly unzipped her dress. She looked back at him and slipped the dress off her shoulders letting it fall to the floor, revealing lacy black underwear and a matching black bra. She stepped out of the dress with her shiny black heels and continued in to his bedroom.

Henry could have pounced on her that instant. He had to call upon every moral fiber in his entire being in order to prevent himself from ravishing her right there on the living room floor. He stood in place for several moments in an attempt to compose himself.

"Ooooh Henry.." she called from somewhere within the bedroom, out of sight.

He walked calmly into the room, and found her posing against his closet door, wearing one of his white silk shirts, unbuttoned and draped open, revealing more of her black lingerie underneath. She had her head titled slight to one side.

"So does my neck look good in this?" she asked seductively.

"Vicki! Why are you so insistent on torturing me?" he yelled.

"I'm not torturing you Henry. I just thought you might be hungry." she replied with a mischievous grin.

Henry lost all self control. In a split-second he was on her, his full body weight pinning her against the closet door. His eyes turning black as he sank his fangs deep into her neck and drank heavily.

Vicki gasped and cried out, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his head to hold him close.

Henry felt an instant buzz with the taste of Vicki's blood. The alcohol from her body flooding in to his. He detected something more, something that made his head spin in a different way, something he hadn't experienced with the blood of his prey before.

He pulled away from her neck and licked his lips, looking her in the eye, "Vicki, you minx, you always have to have it your way."

She grinned and leaned in as if to kiss him, instead gently biting his bottom lip, pulling on it gently with her teeth before releasing it, "See.. I can bite too."

Henry growled and carried her swiftly to his bed, throwing her down before locking his lips down on hers. His conscience was still nagging him, just a little more quietly now.

Vicki, having lost all rational thought kissed him breathlessly. Her tongue hungrily seeking out his.

It was Henry's turn to let his hands roam now, along her sides and over her arms. He caressed the soft skin of her belly.

As his fingers began to creep under the elastic trim of her underwear he felt her body strangely begin to convulse.

A very pale Vicki suddenly leaped up from the bed and raced to Henry's bathroom.

The uncomfortable sound of Vicki expelling her stomach contents in the adjoining room suddenly extinguished any desire Henry had for sex.

He sighed, shook his head in defeat and went to her aid.

Henry waited till she was done, then gently cleaned her face with a warm wet cloth and carried the now unconscious Vicki back to his bed.

He took off her shoes and placed them under a nearby chair with her dress. He filled another glass of water and placed it next to the bed with some pain killers. Wrapping the covers around her, he placed a small delicate kiss on her forehead.

He spent the remainder of the night lying beside her, stroking her hair gently until dawn arrived when he too fell asleep.


	11. Chapter 11

Vicki fluttered her eyes open and was welcomed with an intense pain throbbing in her head. She groaned and rubbed her eyes when she was struck with realisation that she was not in her own bed. She panicked and sat up straight, her foggy brain slowly coming to recognise the room as Henry's. How did she get here she wondered?

She turned and gasped at seeing Henry's beautiful form lying next to her. The action of turning her head caused her to wince slightly. She reached up and felt the bruise marks forming around the little indentations on her neck. She knew exactly where they must have come from, but had no recollection of how they'd got there. He'd only ever fed from her neck once before, but had not left her with bruises like this. Henry would have some explaining to do.

Reaching over Vicki gently shook him by the arm but he did not stir. Looking at her watch she groaned again at seeing it was twelve-thirty, presumably in the middle of the day if Henry was out cold in his vampire-death-sleep.

She lifted the covers and looked at herself. She was wearing a white shirt that wasn't hers but was somewhat relieved to see she still had underwear on.

_"What the hell happened last night?" _she muttered to herself.

Vicki looked over to a nearby armchair, where her black dress was gently draped over one side. Her shoes were placed neatly beneath it. A glass of water and some aspirin had been conveniently placed on the bedside table next to her.

Vicki swallowed the pills before quickly getting dressed.

Grabbing her coat and purse at Henry's front door she made a quick exit.

She was filled with embarrassment, confusion and a little bit of shame as she hailed a taxi and hurried home.


	12. Chapter 12

Vicki eventually dragged herself in to the office in the early evening. After running away from Henry's she'd gone home, showered and taken another nap. She'd spent the remaining time racking her brain for memories of the previous night.

Finally getting an appetite back, Vicki picked up some nearby fast-food on the way to the office. Coreen was dutifully waiting for her when she arrived.

"Where have you been? I've been trying to call you all day! I was getting worried!" Coreen shouted.

Vicki had made sure to wear a scarf around her neck to cover the bite mark, she cringed as Coreen's loud voice made her head throb with pain.

"Hey Coreen, time to use your indoor voice OK? I was sleeping if you must know, didn't hear the phone." Vicki replied as she dumped the greasy take-out on Coreen's desk.

"Wow, guess you had an even bigger night that I did huh?" Coreen grinned.

"You mean you actually remember last night?"

"Well, not much, mostly I remember I met this really hot guy called Jason at the party, and I also remember Henry dragging me away like an over-protective dad before I got to have too much fun." Coreen pouted. "But hey.. I've got Jason's phone number so its not all a loss." She smiled and waved a business card at Vicki.

"So Henry made it to the party?" Vicki asked, confused.

"No idea what time he arrived, just remember him dragging us out of there in a hurry. Geeze Vicki how much did you drink?"

Vicki took off her glasses and rubbed her forehead, "Way too much obviously."

Coreen opened the bag and food and began to sort through the large amount of food Vicki had purchased. Both women began devouring burgers and french fries, the best hangover remedy known to man. They both looked up as Henry entered the office. A feeling of dread suddenly came over Vicki, she was reluctant to look at him. Did he know that she had no recollection of the previous nights events?

"Evening Ladies, have we both recovered from last night? he asked, placing the Acchus Estate bottle of Merlot down in front of Vicki.

Vicki groaned "Ugh.. get that away from me. I never want to see another drop of alcohol as long as I live."

Coreen stood with her hands on her hips "Hey Henry, whats the deal with dragging me away last night? I was having a great time and was just about to.." she paused and reconsidered he words, "have a very deep and meaningful discussion with a nice young man."

Henry gave her a serious look, "And here I was thinking that you would both be grateful that I stopped you from joining the large orgy that was transpiring in the living room."

"Oh wow! I missed out on an orgy? That would have been so cool to write about on my Blog!" Coreen exclaimed.

Both Henry and Vicki turned to give her a strange look.

"What the hell is a _Blog_?" Vicki asked.

"It's my online journal. I call it 'Conversations with Coreen'." she was so pleased with herself, enjoying being the most tech-savvy person in the room.

Vicki rolled her eyes and eventually looked over at Henry.

"So Henry, are you going to tell us exactly what happened last night?" Vicki asked him.

"Well Vicki, would you like to know what happened _before_ or _after_ you came back to my apartment?" Henry replied with a grin, watching Vicki squirm with embarrassment.

Coreen gasped excitedly "Vicki you went back to Henry's? Why didn't you tell me?"

Vicki turned and gave Coreen an unimpressed glance, then looked back at Henry.

"Henry and I will talk about that _later_. Right now I want to know what happened at Brian's place."

"Well Vicki, when I arrived, you were putting on quite a show for your dear friend Brian. You were having your own private little party so to speak. You're quite the dancer." Henry said, still grinning.

Vicki shook her head then buried her hands in her face in shame, "Oh god.. I don't remember any of it."

"And depending on _how well_ you got to know Mr Acchus last night, you may have figured out that he's not human. No idea _what_ he is exactly." Henry stated.

Vicki looked up, surprised, "What? How do you know that?"

"Lets just say he wasn't a fan of my intrusion nor my attempts to take you away from him last night. He had strength that I haven't come across in a while. Oh and the lack of a pulse might provide some strong evidence to support my theory."

"And here I was thinking this was just going to be a normal case. I just wanted to track down who Abigail was drinking with, and who was supplying the alcohol and determine if there was any negligence involved. But no it _always_ has to be something supernatural." Vicki complained.

"I would have thought this would give you more reason to be suspicious about Abigail's death?" Henry asked.

"Well yeah it does, but how the hell are we supposed to figure out _how_ he was involved in her death?" Vicki asked.

"You'll need to figure out what he is first." Henry stated.

"Yeah, got any clues other than him not having a heart beat?" Vicki asked..

"Only that he seemed to relish in the belief that he was older than me, much older."

"Demon maybe?" Coreen suggested.

Henry shook his head "No, I don't think so. Demon's reek of evil, I can smell it from a mile away. As much as I disliked the old man I doubt very much that he is a demon."

"I guess we're going in to research mode." Vicki said,

Vicki and Henry begin flipping through various mythology and occult books conveniently stored in Vicki's office, leaving Coreen to search the web for information out in reception.

"So you really don't remember anything about last night?" Henry asked quietly.

"Last thing I remember was being upstairs with Brian, trying some apparently very special red wine. I am a little curious to know how that led to _this_ though." Vicki pulled down her scarf to reveal the bite mark.

"You were incredibly drunk so I took you back to my place for your own safety, and what can I say? You were intent on making me hungry..." Henry moved in closer to her, putting the book he was reading aside "And you succeeded in more than one way I might add."

Vicki began to blush,"So umm, did we... _y'know_..?"

"You mean did I have _dessert_ with my dinner?" he asked with a mischievous smile.

"Well that's one way to put it, but yeah you know exactly what I mean." Vicki was still extremely embarrassed, but also a little saddened at the thought she might have missed out the memory of spending a night in Henry's bed doing more than just sleeping.

"I may be a vampire Vicki, but I'm still a gentleman. If you must know I spent the remainder of the night holding the hair off your face as you hurled all the wine you drank in to my toilet." Henry stated, preferring not to mention that the evening had been about to go in completely different direction if she had not been sick.

"Wow, sounds romantic." Vicki said, fighting back rising nausea with the thought of it.

"Oh my god!" Coreen yelled out from her desk, interrupting them.

"What?" Vicki raced to the reception area.

"I can't believe I didn't see it straight away. Surely it can't be this obvious!" Coreen continued.

Vicki was growing impatient "Spit it out Coreen!"

"Brian Acchus...Bacchus!" Coreen stated.

Henry was smiling but Vicki clearly had no idea what she was talking about.

"Bacchus! Dionysus! The Greek God of wine and good times!" Coreen added.

"You're suggesting Brian is a God?" Vicki asked in amazement.

Coreen began madly clicking and typing on her computer, "Well it makes perfect sense. Bacchus was renowned as a hedonistic god, providing his followers with intoxicating wine in return for their worship. He'd entice them into abandoning all sense of reason and rational thought in seek of pleasure. It even mentions here that women would leave their husbands and children to frolic with him in the forests. A frenzy known as _bakcheia._"

"That could explain some of the behaviour I witnessed last night." Henry said.

"Well, to top it off, apparently he can take one of two forms, an effeminate young man or a grey haired, bearded older gentleman. Coincidence maybe?"

"No such thing as a coincidence in our line of work Coreen. So how do we stop him from corrupting the citizens of Toronto?"

"So far it seems his power is only in vine-growing and wine-making. The history books suggest that the Titans killed him as a baby, eating all but his heart, when his father Zeus planted his heart in his thigh till Bacchus was reborn, as an immortal."

Vicki cringed, "Gee I wonder if he has any daddy issues?"

Henry interrupted "What about the wine? Why does his wine have such a dramatic effect? I very much doubt that a regular wine connoisseur is lured into such lewd acts with a glass or two at the dinner table. Surely it must be different?"

"The only reference I can find is that the wine he produces is known to have its own unique intoxicating qualities." Coreen responded.

Vicki began to pace back and forth, "Wait, that might explain the unknown drug-like substance in Abigail's blood. The substance that's likely to be in _my_ blood, yours too Coreen."

Vicki stood up, grabbed the bottle of Merlot that Henry had brought with him and started to leave.

"Vicki, where are you going?" Henry asked.

"To see Mike. We might not be able to kill an immortal God, but if Brian chooses to live the life of a mortal then I think he should have to live by our rules."

"What do you mean?" Henry asked, following her.

"Well, any company caught adding drugs to their wine would have to deal with the full force of the law. Why should Mr Brian Acchus be any different?"

Henry laughed "What? You're thinking of getting a Greek God arrested?"

"Sure.. why not. Worth a try." she shrugged.

Vicki opened the front door and walked straight into Detective Mike Celluci.

"Speak of the devil and he will appear." Henry said with a smirk.

"Hello to you too Fitzroy. What's up Vick? You look like hell." Mike greeted her.

"Wow thanks Mike. You'd feel like death warmed over too if you were fed magic Merlot all night long."

"Huh?" Mike was confused.

Vicki spent the next few minutes explaining their findings to Mike. He scratched his head trying to absorb all the information.

"Well I guess we can bring him in for questioning." he finally said.

Vicki handed him the unopened Acchus Estate Merlot, "Here.. I think the forensics team will find that it contains a substance matching that of the one found in Abigail's stomach."


	13. Chapter 13

Brian Acchus sat willingly in the questioning room at the police precinct opposite Detective Celluci. They were joined by Brian's lawyer.

"So lets not drag this out unnecessarily. We know you're adding drugs to your wine. Just tell us what it is, and how it's manufactured and we can move on." Mike demanded of Brian.

"I honestly have no idea what you're implying Detective. I assure you that the manufacturing process in my wineries is extremely diligent and legal." Brian replied.

Mike had an instant dislike for the man. He placed the bottle of Merlot on the table in front of Brian. "So how did a cannabis-like substance end up in this bottle of wine?"And in the stomach of a girl who drank herself to death? A girl who was seen drinking on your property?"

"I honestly have no idea Detective. That particular wine is produced in Australia. I can make the appropriate phone calls to ensure my staff there are willing to cooperate with any investigation. I will accept full responsibility if negligence is found on the part of my company." Brian explained with a smug smile on his face.

"I promise you, the Australian Federal Police will be paying a visit if they haven't already." Mike stated.

"And of course, you're welcome to inspect my Canadian wineries as well. No need for complicate the matter with warrants and the like. You'll see I have nothing to hide."

Mike was at a dead end. He had no additional evidence to charge Brian Acchus with anything criminal.

"You're free to go Mr Acchus, but I'll be in touch."

"I look forward to it Detective. If there is any way I can assist with your investigation please don't hesitate to contact me."

"Well I might need help from the Gods of Olympus on this one." Mike said casually, monitoring Brian for a reaction.

Brian smirked before he and his lawyer stood up and began to leave. They whispered quietly amongst themselves, too quietly for Mike to overhear. The lawyer was nodding in agreement.

As they walked out into the precinct Brian suddenly froze, clutched at his chest and collapsed on the floor, gasping for air.

Mike raced over to assist, "Someone call an Ambulance, I think he's having a heart attack! Get Rajani up here!"

Brian's body convulsed several times before his eyes closed and a final breath escaped from his lips.


	14. Chapter 14

Mike was headed to Vicki's office to give her the news. Her prime suspect was dead. Perhaps she would interpret it as good news.

He knocked on her open door "Hey, you got a minute?"

"Mike, hey, How'd your little meeting with Mr Acchus go?" she asked cheerily,

"Uh... not so good. He's dead Vick." Mike stated.

"What do you mean he's dead? He's an immortal Greek God!" she exclaimed.

"The guy had no pulse and was not breathing, looked like a heart attack. I think maybe you guys got your facts wrong this time." he said.

"Have they done an autopsy to confirm?" she asked, slightly panicked.

"No autopsy. His lawyer made that very clear the minute he died at the station."

"Bastard! He's not dead. He had no pulse to begin with!" she yelled.

"I don't know what to tell you Vicki. We'll tie up any loose ends with the investigation but there is not much else I can do. There was no trace of this so-called drug at his Winery, nor any found in Australia where the wine in question was made. Given that it was not officially the drug that killed Abigail, we're unable to lay any criminal charges. Narcotics will keep an eye on the company but given the substance hasn't actually been formally identified as an illegal drug we're at a bit of a loss." Mike explained

Vicki groaned "I guess Gods can get away with anything, especially when they are filthy rich with excellent lawyers. I still doubt he's actually dead though."

"If it makes you feel any better, he seemed to know exactly what I was hinting at when I made reference to needing help from the Gods." Mike added.

Vicki pulled out her cell phone and left a message for Henry "Hey when you wake up, come and get me. I need you to drive me somewhere.. I'm feeling the need for revenge."

"What are you up to Vicki? Where do you want to go? I'll drive you." Mike offered.

"Trust me Mike. It's best you have no knowledge of what I'm about to do."

Mike shook his head and sighed.


	15. Chapter 15

Late that night Vicki and Henry approached the Acchus Estate Wine company on foot. They'd left the Jag parked several blocks away for fear of being seen.

They stood outside the darkened homestead with several containers of gasoline and an axe.

Vicki stood up straight, hands on her hips "We might not be able to kill the guy, but I'll do my best to let him know he's not wanted here."

Henry laughed, "You know he's probably got insurance right?"

"Yeah, but I don't care. This will make me feel better. Payback for drugging me and making me dance.. and other things I can't seem to remember."

They walked to the back of the homestead to a large warehouse and storage area. Vicki checked for signs of security cameras and confirmed with Henry that the place was empty before moving inside.

Several rows of french oak barrels were stacked neatly on top of each other.

Vicki took the axe and swung through each one, splintering the timber and letting the fermenting liquid spew out on to the concrete floor.

Henry stood back and watched the show with a smile "Remind me never to make you angry." he laughed.

"Fear the grapes of wrath!" she exclaimed, as she began to pour gasoline over the now empty barrels.

"Let me guess, you've been wanting to use that corny line since you started this case haven't you?" Henry smiled.

"You betcha!" she replied, trailing a line of gasoline out the warehouse door and over to the homestead.

Once again Henry checked the homestead was empty and found a way inside. He let Vicki in through the back door where she continued to splash flammable liquid all over the beautiful timber interior. When finished they returned to the front of the homestead and stood quietly for a few moments.

Vicki looked at Henry for one final confirmation that no-one was inside before she lit a match, and threw it to the trail of gasoline.

The homestead erupted in flames, the roar of the fire and its heat making Vicki and Henry retreat and watch it burn from afar.

Henry folded his arms and turned to Vicki with a smile, "So, are you all done being a bad girl now Vicki?"

"I think so. I'm still blaming the wine for my indiscretions the other night, but the arson is all me baby!" she replied.

Henry laughed and turned back to watch the flames.

Vicki stood and watched Henry by the orange glow of the fire. The waves of heat blowing his hair gently in the night air. He looked so sexy it almost took her breath away.

"Hey Henry..." she started

"Yes Vicki?"

"Thanks for rescuing me from the party the other night, and I apologise for my behaviour, for whatever I may have said or done." she stated.

"No need to apologise. You weren't in control of your actions." he replied.

"Well, seriously, thanks for not taking advantage of me under the circumstances."

Henry felt a twinge of guilt, remembering he had almost gone too far. He wondered if he would have actually stopped himself in time.

He stepped over to her and stroked her cheek softly before speaking, "Vicki I could never take advantage of you, but when you decide to consciously give in to those deep dark desires of yours, be sure to let me know OK?"

"Hmm I have a sudden craving for _dessert_.." Vicki replied with a demure smile.

Henry gave her a wicked grin in return, and slowly began to lean in, his hand pulling her face to his.

Their lips were about to touch, when sirens filled the quiet night air. The flashing lights of the fire engines racing towards the winery.

"Oh crap! We better get out of here!" Vicki cried before running off into the darkness back to the safety of Henry's jag.

Henry stood in he dark, frozen in a pre-kiss statue-like pose for a few moments. His hand clutching at empty air.

"Goddammit." he muttered, before shaking his head and following her.


	16. Chapter 16

Several days later at the Acchus Manor, the body of Brian Acchus Senior was laid out on an extravagant four poster bed. Several assistants and his lawyer stood around him, waiting in anticipation.

Slowly, his body began to change. His beard receded, his hair darkening and lengthening over the pillow. His skin become taught and smooth as he transformed into the attractive, young Brian Acchus Junior.

His eyes opened, he sat up, then stood and greeted them, "Hello again Gentleman. Is my luggage packed and ready?"

"Yes Sir, your driver is outside with the car running, ready to leave when you are." one of his assistants replied.

"Did you speak to my staff in Australia, and give them my instructions?" he asked his lawyer.

"Yes Mr Acchus. All traces of the Merlot were destroyed as requested before the police arrived. I doubt they'll bother to pursue the investigation, not now that you're dead. You're free to return as head of the company, er I mean, Brian's _son_ is free to take over as head of the company." the lawyer replied.

"Good.. good." the young Brian smiled.

Another assistant approached him from the back of the room.

"Uh, Sir, there was a small incident at the local winery last night though..." the assistant spoke tentatively.

"An incident?" Brian asked.

"Uh.. yes. A fire. Burned to the ground I'm afraid. A young couple were seen fleeing the scene. We believe it was that private investigator, Ms Nelson. We did warn you she'd be trouble Sir."

"Ahh _Vicki, Vicki, Vicki._ Such a feisty young woman, yet so corrupt-able. She would have made a superb disciple. Such a shame she had that damn Vampire following her around like a little puppy." Brian shook his head with regret.

"Would you like us to _take care_ of them Sir?"

"Oh no no, let the little children have their fun. It's time for us to move on anyway. Damn that Abigail Turner, if only she'd been able to have _just a little_ self control we wouldn't have ended up in this mess."

He paused for a moment of reflection.

"Have the vineyards been planted at the new winery in France?" Brian continued.

"It will be fully operational in a few months." his assistant replied.

"Make sure that my Merlot from California is shipped and ready for my arrival. Spread the word that I'll be looking to introduce myself."

A villainous smile spread across his face with the thought of converting a new group of followers with his delicious red wine.

He grinned with the visions of liberating them, making them submit to the madness and ecstasy that only he could provide, seeing them obediently bend to his will.

Bacchus rubbed his hands with glee.

THE END


End file.
